site pages (21)

Advocate

We advocate for a National Defense Policy that serves and supports the current and future generation of Soldiers, Marines, and Special Operators that carry the burden of land battle.

We advocate for meaningful Re-Integration of our wounded warriors into the fabric of our national life.

We advocate for engaging Basic Clinical and Applied Medical Science and Research as a benchmark for preparation in defense of our national community.

We advocate for Supporting and Protecting the Service Family Unit while their members are in harm’s way, throughout their deployment, and upon their return from distant shores.

We advocate for the men and women who secure our borders and protect our communities from those who would do us harm.

We advocate for a national renewal to Character and Leadership in our community discourse.

A Case for Support

At the dawn of each day, the American Land Forces Institute (ALFI) stands ready to advocate on behalf of the men and women who defend our sacred liberties on the field of conflict, from protecting our national borders to engaging in faraway missions, where those who would do us harm must be met and defeated.

Soldiers, Marines, Special Operations Forces, and National Guardsmen, Border Officers and Local Law Enforcement Personnel represent the broad national interest with fidelity as they selflessly fight our wars, defend our communities from criminal predators, and protect our families in an increasingly dangerous world.

They and their families have earned our respect for their SERVICE WITH HEART.

We, as citizens, owe them our highest personal regard and, at the same time, our commitment from the moment they raise their right hand in a solemn pledge to Defend our Constitution, to their return to our communities as leaders, friends and neighbors – as valued members of the American Family.

The American Land Forces Institute was created to be their advocate – to ensure that what we ask of them we also ask of ourselves – that the sacrifice borne by them is not repaid by simple script but by a hallowed prescription – that their service, now and in the future, is a meaningful testimony to the American Spirit and the cause of American Democracy – that they and their families embrace Service not for pecuniary gain but for the protection of our hard-won Liberties. They deserve nothing less from us and it is our collective responsibility to provide them with the means to represent our interests and for we to return their fidelity to duty as a committed nation.

A New Force Building Capacity

The American Land Forces Institute (ALFI) is beginning its operational existence as a 501 (c)(3) not-for profit organization, physically located in San Antonio, Texas but with a mandate that spreads throughout the country and around the globe, wherever our fighting forces are based and whenever they find themselves confronting an enemy, both foreign and domestic. Founded by US Army Colonel Jack H. Pryor (retired) and with a distinguished Board of Directors led by its Chairman US Army Lieutenant General John M. Riggs, (retired), ALFI is engaged in a multi-pronged approach to change the way that American leadership, both civilian and military, and the American people, view the brave men and women who place fidelity to duty before their lives and fortunes.

America’s Soldiers, Marines and Special Operations forces have carried the greatest burden in all of our contemporary wars. Since World War II, land forces have comprised only 4% of the entire Armed Forces, but have suffered 84% of all military fatalities.

We are dedicated to the proposition that America’s historic neglect of our ground forces must not be allowed to persist.

Yet in spite of this horrific down payment in blood, this nation still fails to provide our ground forces with the support these brave men and women require that will allow them to win our wars at the lowest cost in human life.

At the genesis of every organization, building financial and organizational capacity is paramount to success. We cannot hope to change a national mindset that has existed for the better part of 60 years without an initial seeding of private funds that will allow us to advocate on behalf of those who are, or will soon return from the battlefield, so that they might be better prepared to accept the mantle of honored warrior and productive citizen. And we cannot expect to prepare the next generation defender of the American Ideal absent vital private support to advocate a new paradigm in how we identify, cultivate, nurture and prepare both our leadership and those who take the battle into the field on our behalf.

To that end, we are seeking to raise $10,860,000 in private, institutional, and public funding over the next two years to achieve a competitive foundation upon which to launch, on a rolling schedule, a series of quests that will define the purpose, scope, and vision of the American Land Forces Institute for the next decade and beyond.

The plan of action is rooted in a simple concept: Arrive at the ‘Ground Truth’

The vision of the American Land Forces Institute is enunciated in the following major goals:

To shape the national debate and influence policy makers to measurably change national security priorities to a balanced air, sea and land forces, both domestic and those that represent our national interests on foreign soil.

To ensure our land forces are better prepared than ever before to defend the nation and to return home with their health intact and their hope in the future unbroken.

To educate the public and key stakeholders on the primacy of the ground component in today’s national and global engagements and, future conflicts, and to ensure highly specialized training that prepares our warriors to cope with the changing environment.

To gain support and advocate on behalf of defense research and development agencies to secure the best tools and resources for land forces so that they dominate the battlefields of today and tomorrow.

To collaborate and influence agencies that provide education, training, health services, family renewal, and a viable future in the workplace when our veterans and their families uniformed service is complete.

Program Emphasis and Use of Funds

The Small Group Infantry Warrior Spectrum

Methods needed for selecting and testing the Army’s Future Force

Under the leadership of key members of the ALFI Scientific Team, the organization will engage in a highly focused series of scientific inquiry using Basic Applied and Clinical Medical Science to defining and testing the spectrum of combatant warriors, from the recruitment and selection process of these combatants, through training, combat field experiences, retirement, and post-retirement, in terms of combat effectiveness, appropriate capabilities in the various fields of conflict, and resultant long-term quality of life. These proposed methods are not intended to replace existing selection and training procedures, but rather to significantly enhance these selection and training methodologies with a set of existing and proven state of the art genetic, psychometric, brain imaging and statistical toolkits that will be developed through rigorous scientific investigation. The key outcomes are how to predict and maximize pre-and-post-combat psychological and performance growth, and minimize the incidence of post-combat depression and suicide.

This proposed funding will support the first phase of an experimental design protocol for a much larger study to be funded by federal governmental sources, one that will assist in determining which recruits will thrive in the small group or sole combatant environment, whether in military or civilian roles, and which will be the most likely to have negative outcomes, and to follow these warriors, frontline defenders, and law enforcement personnel for years and decades following their combat and frontline experience.

Establishing the ALFI National Center for Wellness, Healing and Research

The ALFI leadership team has commenced in developing a Center to be located in the Hill Country close to the extraordinary resources provided by the community of San Antonio, Texas. The Center will assist veterans and their families in re-acclimating to their lives as productive citizens in a post-combat, post-military environment.Utilizing a broad set of community assets and infrastructure located throughout the greater San Antonio community and in partnership with local community health care, education, government, and private resources. The Center will develop a broad array of scientific, medical, rehabilitative, recreational, and restorative programs. The intent is to assist veterans and their families in the often difficult aspects of re-entering civilian life and begin to fashion the next steps in their endeavors as productive citizens of the country. The parameters of the Center Experience will be developed over the next six-to-eighteen months in collaboration with local stakeholders, veterans and their families, and regional and national governmental entities charged with ongoing support of the veterans’ infrastructure. The intent is to develop a template that can be replicated on differing scales anywhere in the country by other organizations concerned with Veterans’ Affairs.

The ALFI National Center for Character and Leadership

From a program created by Colonel Pryor and Dr. Denny Coates, Ph.D., known as Character Wins!, ALFI will initiate the first phase of the Center for Character and Leadership to engage returning veterans who possess an extraordinary basket of leadership skills, in their transition back into the community and civil society. Often, returning veterans face a variety of challenges, not least among them employment, as they try to stabilize themselves, their families and search for pathways into the civilian workforce. The Center for Leadership and Character will assist them by providing fellowships that allow them to transition into civil society by placing them in opportunities that capitalize on their leadership capabilities and their strength of character. These strengths, honed within the military and perfected, in part, throughout their experiences on the battlefield, will be re-purposed for a civilian setting in teaching and service opportunities with schools, service groups and vital community resources.

The program will offer six-to-twelve month stipends to ease the transition while creating a variety of ways for the veterans to interact in their communities, advancing their career aspirations and developing a solid network of advocates that will benefit their future path into the communities in which they reside.

Global and National Advocacy

The leadership of the American Land Forces Institute will engage in a rigorous schedule of advocacy on behalf of the veterans we represent with major national leaders, both military and civilian. We intend to influence the course of defense policy on how are country’s freedoms are secured. We will do so by striving to reach the Ground Truth With Objectivity, one of the major goals of the institution. This funding will allow ALFI to emerge as a major force in the discussion that is ongoing within the national community, with the intent to stage a series of nationally-focused Land Forces Colloquia with partners and participants, both veterans and non-veterans alike, in the San Antonio community and throughout the nation beginning later this year and in years to come. These Colloquia will grow into a meaningful national conversation that ALFI will initiate and in which it will have a growing role as a primary convener.

Two-Year Staffing and Operations

This funding will allow ALFI to build a small group force of leaders, professionals, and support services to thoughtfully grow the organization as a driving force to change the way our land forces are perceived by our nation;s leadership. The amount of funding required to manage the organization is well within the parameters of major charity oversight guidelines. The vast majority of funds to be raised will be applied to programming that benefits the veterans’ community and their families. This is a standard that will be adhered to throughout the existence of the American Land Forces Institute.

The enduring legacy of ALFI will be its commitment to the security of our country and the service ALFI brings to its stakeholders: the veterans and those who protect our sacred liberties on our borders, in our communities, in times both good and challenging.

The concept of staff rides was first developed by Count Helmuth von Moltke, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist who once wrote that “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” The Count believed that only the opening stages of a campaign could be effectively planned: all other decisions happened according to the needs of the moment. Von Moltke, together with a hand-picked group of young staff officers, would visit sites where he felt conflict was likely to happen with future European enemies. He and his students could thus envision the exigencies of the battle on what military historian William Robertson calls the “three dimension chess board of terrain.”

The staff ride is no longer for military personnel alone. Over the past eight years ALFI has adapted the practice for executive management and leadership development training. The corporate staff ride draws on the popularity of experiential learning while exploiting the intensity of combat to dramatize decision-making under the most extreme circumstances.Due to the popularity of ALFI’s corporate staff ride we have had numerous requests for a staff ride for individuals that are not part of a corporation that want to study the battlefield in depth. We have developed an “individual” staff ride at a reduced cost to fill this need. You will join 10-12 other individuals and experience the same learning objectives that many of our corporate clients do.

Gettysburg is the geographic embodiment of the American military tradition. Here soldiers from every corner of the United States experienced the horrific sights and sounds of the bloodiest battle ever fought in North America. It represented what soldiers call the “culminating point” of the war. Before the battle the end state of the war was in question. After the battle the end was determined. The only question for the next two years would be how long it would take for the Union to win and what the butcher’s bill would be.

This battlefield represents more than the turning point in the Civil War. You will enter hallowed ground. It is the place where soldiers visit to understand their heritage. For over a hundred years they recount the many heroic events here as examples of how American soldiers should act under fire. The stand of woods south of Little Round Top where Joshua Chamberlain held the line is a shrine to the unique form of American military leadership under fire.

The battlefield teaches lessons to us all. Gettysburg has long been regarded as a laboratory for future war. Here we can understand the immutable lessons of war. Technology, demographics and politics may influence how wars are fought to some degree. But all wars share the same characteristics that soldiers and civilians alike must understand if they are to make informed judgments about the nature and character of today’s conflicts. The battlefield also teaches us timeless lessons about the human dimensions of conflict. War is the most complex of all human endeavors and the fear of violent death and the burden that comes with leading men to their death heightens and illuminates how leaders and led relate to each other in time of crises.

This is a staff ride not a battlefield tour. The battlefield is simply a metaphorical experience, an intellectual vessel that you must use to understand how human beings act in time of crises. You must filter what you see here through the lens of your own experiences. We will help you look inwardly and reflect on how what was done here influences your own life and times. If you leave this place with a renewed awareness of the human condition then you will understand why soldiers study and revere this very sacred ground.

The first day begins with the participants’ arrival in the afternoon at the Antrim 1844 Hotel in historic Taneytown, MD. These are unique luxurious accommodations that served as General George Meade’s headquarters prior to the battle. Arrival is followed by a reception, dinner, briefing and a strategic overview of the battle. After breakfast the second day, the group boards a private charter bus for a short ride to the battlefield. The staff ride takes an off the beaten path to examine critical aspects of the battle but we also visit important sites such as Little and Big Round Top, Cemetery hill, Culp’s Hill, the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield. We will follow the events of the morning then break for lunch and a partial After Action Review briefing at the historic Herr Tavern. During the afternoon portion of the ride we will retrace the footsteps of Pickets Charge. The day endsback at the Antrim Hotel with a dinner an after action review facilitated by ALFI leadership specifically focused on the connections between the volatile circumstances of the battlefield and present day events in our military and country.

The American Land Forces Institute is a non-profit organization and leading advocate for active duty and reserve Army, Marine, Special Operating and National Guard forces; veterans who are working to transition successfully to civilian life; and American law enforcement personnel defending America’s communities and borders against terrorists and international criminal organizations. A portion of your staff ride fees are tax deductible.

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

The concept of staff rides was first developed by Count Helmuth von Moltke, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist who once wrote that “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” The Count believed that only the opening stages of a campaign could be effectively planned: all other decisions happened according to the needs of the moment. Von Moltke, together with a hand-picked group of young staff officers, would visit sites where he felt conflict was likely to happen with future European enemies. He and his students could thus envision the exigencies of the battle on what military historian William Robertson calls the “three dimension chess board of terrain.”

The staff ride is no longer for military personnel alone. Over the past eight years ALFI has adapted the practice for executive management and leadership development training. The corporate staff ride draws on the popularity of experiential learning while exploiting the intensity of combat to dramatize decision-making under the most extreme circumstances.

Gettysburg is the geographic embodiment of the American military tradition. Here soldiers from every corner of the United States experienced the horrific sights and sounds of the bloodiest battle ever fought in North America. It represented what soldiers call the “culminating point” of the war. Before the battle the end state of the war was in question. After the battle the end was determined. The only question for the next two years would be how long it would take for the Union to win and what the butcher’s bill would be.

This battlefield represents more than the turning point in the Civil War. You will enter hallowed ground. It is the place where soldiers visit to understand their heritage. For over a hundred years they recount the many heroic events here as examples of how American soldiers should act under fire. The stand of woods south of Little Round Top where Joshua Chamberlain held the line is a shrine to the unique form of American military leadership under fire.

The battlefield teaches lessons to us all. Gettysburg has long been regarded as a laboratory for future war. Here we can understand the immutable lessons of war. Technology, demographics and politics may influence how wars are fought to some degree. But all wars share the same characteristics that soldiers and civilians alike must understand if they are to make informed judgments about the nature and character of today’s conflicts. The battlefield also teaches us timeless lessons about the human dimensions of conflict. War is the most complex of all human endeavors and the fear of violent death and the burden that comes with leading men to their death heightens and illuminates how leaders and led relate to each other in time of crises.

This is a staff ride not a battlefield tour. The battlefield is simply a metaphorical experience, an intellectual vessel that you must use to understand how human beings act in time of crises. You must filter what you see here through the lens of your own experiences. We will help you look inwardly and reflect on how what was done here influences your own life and times. If you leave this place with a renewed awareness of the human condition then you will understand why soldiers study and revere this very sacred ground.

Members of our team will meet and collaborate with you and your organization to customize and tailor the offerings to meet your organization goals and objectives to guarantee the maximum return on your investment. Examples could be to 1) focus on a particularly important aspect of the company, 2) invest in leadership development at a specific management level, or 3) explore leadership issues relevant to the entire corporation.

The process begins several weeks before the event when each member of your team receives a read ahead packet that includes a battlefield booklet with map boards to begin their own study of the battle.

Our ride will examine leadership from both the Government and Military perspective during the months and weeks leading up the battle. You will learn from former senior Military Officer and ALFI personnel who are all combat veterans with extensive knowledge of history, tactics and battlefield leadership.

Some of the reflections from the ride will be:

Inspiring others to action

Individual and team success

Managing Risk

Capitalizing on momentum

Leading by example

Creating conditions for success

Management and leadership during chaos

Effective Communication

Importance of intelligence

Relationships and trust

Data and Knowledge Management

Friction & Will

Ends, Ways and Means

Indirect Versus Direct Leadership

Seeing the Battlefield (Imaging)

Thinking in Time

Mission is the Heart, intent is the Soul

Intent is a two Edged Sword

Collective Versus Individual Genius

Sometimes a commander has to order things done

Decisions-making when the Blood is Up

During turbulent times even a genius can be a victim of his past

Beware of the Marbled Man

Consensus Versus Compromise

Unlikely Leaders

Small Units Make a Difference

Innovation from below

Tyranny of the Mundane

The first day begins with the participants’ arrival in the afternoon at the Antrim 1844 Hotel in historic Taneytown, MD. These are unique luxurious accommodations that served as General George Meade’s headquarters prior to the battle. Arrival is followed by a reception, dinner, briefing and a strategic overview of the battle. After breakfast the second day, the group boards a private charter bus for a short ride to the battlefield. The staff ride takes an off the beaten path to examine critical aspects of the battle but we also visit important sites such as Little and Big Round Top, Cemetery hill, Culp’s Hill, the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield. We will follow the events of the morning then break for lunch and a partial After Action Review briefing at the historic Herr Tavern. During the afternoon portion of the ride we will retrace the footsteps of Pickets Charge. The day endsback at the Antrim Hotel with a dinner an after action review facilitated by Dr. Scales specifically focused on the connections between the volatile circumstances of the battlefield and present day leadership of your corporation.

** The ALFI Corporate Staff Ride is adaptable and flexible. We can tailor it to meet your needs by adjusting the timeline and events. The ride can be shortened or lengthened to meet your corporate needs and the cost will be adjusted accordingly.

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

The concept of staff rides was first developed by Count Helmuth von Moltke, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist who once wrote that “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” The Count believed that only the opening stages of a campaign could be effectively planned: all other decisions happened according to the needs of the moment. Von Moltke, together with a hand-picked group of young staff officers, would visit sites where he felt conflict was likely to happen with future European enemies. He and his students could thus envision the exigencies of the battle on what military historian William Roberston calls the “three dimension chess board of terrain.”

The staff ride is no longer for military personnel alone. Over the past five years ALFI has adapted the practice for executive management and leadership development training. The corporate staff ride draws on the popularity of experiential learning while exploiting the intensity of combat to dramatize decision-making under the most extreme circumstances. Due to the popularity of ALFI’s corporate staff ride we have had numerous requests for a staff ride for individuals that are not part of a corporation that want to study the battlefield in depth. We have developed an “individual” staff ride at a reduced cost to fill this need. You will join 10-12 other individuals and experience the same learning objectives that many of our corporate clients do.

Little Big Horn is the geographic embodiment of the American military tradition. This battle was the last culminating event in the struggle for the American West.

This battlefield is alive today in that it teaches lessons to us all. Here you will understand the immutable lessons of war. Technology, demographics and politics may influence how wars are fought to some degree. But all wars share the same characteristics that soldiers and civilians alike must understand if they are to make informed judgments about the nature and character of today’s conflicts. The battlefield also teaches you timeless lessons about the human dimensions of conflict. War is the most complex of all human endeavors and the fear of violent death and the burden that comes with leading men to their death heightens and illuminates how leaders and led relate to each other in time of crises.

This is a staff ride not a battlefield tour. The battlefield is simply a metaphorical experience, an intellectual vessel that you must use to understand how human beings act in time of crises. We will help you look inwardly and reflect on how what was done here influences your own life and times. If you leave this place with a renewed awareness of the human condition then you will understand why soldiers study and revere this very sacred ground.

The first day’s arrival in the afternoon at Billings International Airport is followed by a dinner, briefing and a strategic overview of the battle. After breakfast the second day, you will board a private van for a 1 hour ride to the battlefield. The study continues with the ride as we parallel the route of MG Terry’s march. We spend the full day (8 hours) on the battlefield with 3 hours spent on horseback with decedents of Custer’s Crow Scouts tracing his route along Cedar and Medicine Tail Coulees. We will break mid-day for lunch with offerings of authentic Indian Cuisine. The day ends with a dinner in Billings with an after action review facilitated by ALFI leadership specifically focused on the connections between the volatile circumstances of the battlefield and present day events in our military and country.

The cost of the ALFI Staff Ride tailored for individuals is $2500 per person. A $500 deposit is required for booking. Costs associated with this ride include:

Transportation to/from Billings Airport

2 nights accommodation at Billings Crown Plaza

Battlefield Booklet and selected map board mailed to you prior to ride

Dinner the night before the staff ride

Breakfast prior to departure of ride.

Transportation from lodging facility to and from the Battlefield - briefing enroute

World class staff ride lead and facilitated by ALFI personnel who are all combat veterans with extensive knowledge of history, tactics and battlefield leadership.

Lunch on the battlefield

3 hours of staff ride conducted on horse back

A dinner following the ride

Memento gift of ride

Beverages & snacks throughout the day

All fees associated with National Battlefield and Crow Indian Reservation

The American Land Forces Institute is a non-profit organization and leading advocate for active duty and reserve Army, Marine, Special Operating and National Guard forces; veterans who are working to transition successfully to civilian life; and American law enforcement personnel defending America’s communities and borders against terrorists and international criminal organizations. A portion of your staff ride fees are tax deductible.

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

The concept of staff rides was first developed by Count Helmuth von Moltke, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist who once wrote that “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” The Count believed that only the opening stages of a campaign could be effectively planned: all other decisions happened according to the needs of the moment. Von Moltke, together with a hand-picked group of young staff officers, would visit sites where he felt conflict was likely to happen with future European enemies. He and his students could thus envision the exigencies of the battle on what military historian William Roberston calls the “three dimension chess board of terrain.”

The staff ride is no longer for military personnel alone. Over the past eight years ALFI has adapted the practice for executive management and leadership development training. The corporate staff ride draws on the popularity of experiential learning while exploiting the intensity of combat to dramatize decision-making under the most extreme circumstances.

Little Big Horn is the geographic embodiment of the American military tradition. This battle was the last culminating event in the struggle for the American West.

This battlefield is alive today in that it teaches lessons to us all. Here you will understand the immutable lessons of war. Technology, demographics and politics may influence how wars are fought to some degree. But all wars share the same characteristics that soldiers and civilians alike must understand if they are to make informed judgments about the nature and character of today’s conflicts. The battlefield also teaches you timeless lessons about the human dimensions of conflict. War is the most complex of all human endeavors and the fear of violent death and the burden that comes with leading men to their death heightens and illuminates how leaders and led relate to each other in time of crises.

This is a staff ride not a battlefield tour. The battlefield is simply a metaphorical experience, an intellectual vessel that you must use to understand how human beings act in time of crises. You must filter what you see here through the lens of your own experiences. We will help you look inwardly and reflect on how what was done here influences your own life and times. If you leave this place with a renewed awareness of the human condition then you will understand why soldiers study and revere this very sacred ground.

Members of our team will meet and collaborate with you and your organization to customize and tailor the offerings to meet your organization goals and objectives to guarantee the maximum return on your investment. Examples could be to 1) focus on a particularly important aspect of the company, 2) invest in leadership development at a specific management level, or 3) explore leadership issues relevant to the entire corporation.

The process begins several weeks before the event when each member of your team receives a read ahead packet that includes a battlefield booklet with map boards to begin their own study of the battle.

Our ride will examine leadership from both the Native American and US Military perspective during the months and weeks leading up the battle. You will learn from a mix of local Native Americans who are decedents of Custer’s Crow scouts and ALFI personnel who are all combat veterans with extensive knowledge of history, tactics and battlefield leadership.

Some of the reflections from the ride will be:

Hubris based on past success

Inspiring others to action

Vision and direction for the future

Individual and team success

Managing Risk

Capitalizing on momentum

Leading by example

Creating conditions for success

Management and leadership during chaos

Decision making under pressure

Effective Communication

Importance of intelligence

Relationships and trust

Data and Knowledge Management

Unlikely Leaders

Small Units Make a Difference

Innovation from below

The first day’s arrival in the afternoon at Billings International Airport is followed by a reception, dinner, briefing and a strategic overview of the battle. After breakfast the second day, the group boards a private charter bus for a 1 hour ride to the battlefield. The study continues with the bus ride as we parallel the route of MG Terry’s march. We spend the full day (8 hours) on the battlefield with a portion spent on horseback with decedents of Custer’s Crow Scouts crossing the Little Big Horn river and tracing his route along Cedar and Medicine Tail Coulees. We will break mid-day for lunch with offerings of authentic Indian Cuisine. The day ends with a dinner in Billings with an after action review facilitated by Dr. Scales specifically focused on the connections between the volatile circumstances of the battlefield and present day leadership of your corporation.

All fees associated with National Battlefield and Crow Indian Reservation

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

The Battle of Little Bighorn was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle, which occurred on June 25 and 26, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory, was the most prominent action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. It was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Gall, inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake). The U.S. Seventh Cavalry, including the Custer Battalion, a force of 700 men led by George Armstrong Custer, suffered a severe defeat. Five of the Seventh Cavalry's companies were annihilated; Custer was killed, as were two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law. The total U.S. casualty count, including scouts, was 268 dead and 55 injured. Public response to the Great Sioux War varied at the time. The battle, and Custer's actions in particular, have been studied extensively by historians.

The concept of staff rides was first developed by Count Helmuth von Moltke, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist who once wrote that “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” The Count believed that only the opening stages of a campaign could be effectively planned: all other decisions happened according to the needs of the moment. Von Moltke, together with a hand-picked group of young staff officers, would visit sites where he felt conflict was likely to happen with future European enemies. He and his students could thus envision the exigencies of the battle on what military historian William Robertson calls the “three dimension chess board of terrain.”

The staff ride is no longer for military personnel alone. Over the past eight years ALFI has adapted the practice for executive management and leadership development training. The corporate staff ride draws on the popularity of experiential learning while exploiting the intensity of combat to dramatize decision-making under the most extreme circumstances.

Gettysburg is the geographic embodiment of the American military tradition. Here soldiers from every corner of the United States experienced the horrific sights and sounds of the bloodiest battle ever fought in North America. It represented what soldiers call the “culminating point” of the war. Before the battle the end state of the war was in question. After the battle the end was determined. The only question for the next two years would be how long it would take for the Union to win and what the butcher’s bill would be.

This battlefield represents more than the turning point in the Civil War. You will enter hallowed ground. It is the place where soldiers visit to understand their heritage. For over a hundred years they recount the many heroic events here as examples of how American soldiers should act under fire. The stand of woods south of Little Round Top where Joshua Chamberlain held the line is a shrine to the unique form of American military leadership under fire.

The battlefield teaches lessons to us all. Gettysburg has long been regarded as a laboratory for future war. Here we can understand the immutable lessons of war. Technology, demographics and politics may influence how wars are fought to some degree. But all wars share the same characteristics that soldiers and civilians alike must understand if they are to make informed judgments about the nature and character of today’s conflicts. The battlefield also teaches us timeless lessons about the human dimensions of conflict. War is the most complex of all human endeavors and the fear of violent death and the burden that comes with leading men to their death heightens and illuminates how leaders and led relate to each other in time of crises.

This is a staff ride not a battlefield tour. The battlefield is simply a metaphorical experience, an intellectual vessel that you must use to understand how human beings act in time of crises. You must filter what you see here through the lens of your own experiences. We will help you look inwardly and reflect on how what was done here influences your own life and times. If you leave this place with a renewed awareness of the human condition then you will understand why soldiers study and revere this very sacred ground.

Members of our team will meet and collaborate with you and your organization to customize and tailor the offerings to meet your organization goals and objectives to guarantee the maximum return on your investment. Examples could be to 1) focus on a particularly important aspect of the company, 2) invest in leadership development at a specific management level, or 3) explore leadership issues relevant to the entire corporation.

The process begins several weeks before the event when each member of your team receives a read ahead packet that includes a battlefield booklet with map boards to begin their own study of the battle.

Our ride will examine leadership from both the Government and Military perspective during the months and weeks leading up the battle. You will learn from former senior Military Officer and ALFI personnel who are all combat veterans with extensive knowledge of history, tactics and battlefield leadership.

Some of the reflections from the ride will be:

Inspiring others to action

Individual and team success

Managing Risk

Capitalizing on momentum

Leading by example

Creating conditions for success

Management and leadership during chaos

Effective Communication

Importance of intelligence

Relationships and trust

Data and Knowledge Management

Friction & Will

Ends, Ways and Means

Indirect Versus Direct Leadership

Seeing the Battlefield (Imaging)

Thinking in Time

Mission is the Heart, intent is the Soul

Intent is a two Edged Sword

Collective Versus Individual Genius

Sometimes a commander has to order things done

Decisions-making when the Blood is Up

During turbulent times even a genius can be a victim of his past

Beware of the Marbled Man

Consensus Versus Compromise

Unlikely Leaders

Small Units Make a Difference

Innovation from below

Tyranny of the Mundane

The first day begins with the participants’ arrival in the afternoon at the Antrim 1844 Hotel in historic Taneytown, MD. These are unique luxurious accommodations that served as General George Meade’s headquarters prior to the battle. Arrival is followed by a reception, dinner, briefing and a strategic overview of the battle. After breakfast the second day, the group boards a private charter bus for a short ride to the battlefield. The staff ride takes an off the beaten path to examine critical aspects of the battle but we also visit important sites such as Little and Big Round Top, Cemetery hill, Culp’s Hill, the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield. We will follow the events of the morning then break for lunch and a partial After Action Review briefing at the historic Herr Tavern. During the afternoon portion of the ride we will retrace the footsteps of Pickets Charge. The day endsback at the Antrim Hotel with a dinner an after action review facilitated by Dr. Scales specifically focused on the connections between the volatile circumstances of the battlefield and present day leadership of your corporation.

The cost of the ALFI corporate Staff Ride at Gettysburg is approximately $3000 per person for up to 25 members of your staff. A 50% deposit is required to schedule your event.

** The ALFI Corporate Staff Ride is adaptable and flexible. We can tailor it to meet your needs by adjusting the timeline and events. The ride can be shortened or lengthened to meet your corporate needs and the cost will be adjusted accordingly.

Watch our site or register with ALFI for announcements of upcoming Staff Rides for individuals, or if you are interested in booking a customized Staff Ride for your small group (at any one of our three current sites or one of your choosing), please contact Greg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

ALFI is seeking veterans (and active-duty service members) for a unique volunteer opportunity. Triple H Equitherapy, an accredited equine therapy program in Bandera County, 30 minutes west of San Antonio, needs volunteers to serve as sidewalkers and horse handlers, working with Triple H staff and a group of disabled veteran clients. This therapy program is scheduled to start on May 15th and will continue for 8-10 weeks.

Location: Triple H Equitherapy, Pipe Creek, Texas

Time Commitment:

Training: 1 to 2 sessions of 3-4 hours each, to be completed prior to May 15th.

Sessions: 1 session per week, 3-4 hours.

About Triple H Equitherapy:

Our mission is to provide people with disabilities and wounded warriors nationally accredited equine assisted activities and therapy in a safe Texas Hill Country environment.

Since 1995, a growing number of people with disabilities have found healing with the help of specially trained therapy horses. Our professional staff, assisted by trained volunteers, serves clients primarily from Bandera, Bexar, Kendall, Medina and Kerr counties.

In 2011, we served 161 individual and group program participants 2,660 service hours with the help of 247 volunteers and 18 amazing horses, positioning Triple H as one of the top five therapeutic riding centers in Texas.